Princess Mette-Marit's Epstein Friendship: Regret & Skepticism

0:00Welcome to Toronto News Today, two minutes of news that matter to Toronto. Norway's Crown Princess, Met Marit, opened up in a recent radio interview about her past friendship with financier Jeffrey Epstein. She said she wishes she had never met him and regrets not digging deeper into his background before getting close. Epstein died in jail in 2019 while facing sex trafficking charges and her name shows up multiple times in related US court. The princess described their bond as purely friendly with no romantic side, insisting she was misled about his true character. She first connected with him around the time she married Crown Prince Haikon in 2001, and they stayed in touch for years despite his earlier guilty plea in 2008 for soliciting a minor. Public reaction has been skeptical. With royal watchers pointing out she sidesteps some key questions about the depth of their ties. Commentators say Norwegians are fully convinced by her explanation, especially given reports

1:01of warm email exchanges where she joked with him even, after learning troubling details about his past. Documents reveal messages from 2011 to 2013, including her staying at his Florida home for four days in 2000, 13 with a friend. Those notes had a casual intimate feel that raises eyebrows about how deceived she really was. Meanwhile, the princess faces other family challenges like her 29-year-old son from a prior relationship awaiting a verdict in June on. Sexual assault charges were prosecutors seek over seven years in prison. Her story underscores the lasting fallout from Epstein's network for those once linked to him.